Report: Tate fined $21,000 for blindside hit on Lee

The NFL fined Seahawks receiver Golden Tate $21,000 for his blindside block on linebacker Sean Lee, according to ESPNDallas.com.

Tate wasn’t penalized for the play, which occurred early in the fourth quarter Sunday while Lee was chasing Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson.

“Crack-back hits, that’s not a definition of toughness,” ESPNDallas.com quoted Lee as saying. “A definition of toughness is hitting, squaring up, being able to do your job as hard as you can every single play. That’s at least what I believe. Anybody can crack-back block.”

Despite missing six plays because of Tate’s hit, Lee tied a franchise record with a team-credited 21 tackles, including 15 solo stops. Ring of Honor linebacker Lee Roy Jordan also had 21 on Sept. 26, 1971 against Philadelphia.